Brazillian Affiar Part 11

"Relax," he said in her ear. "It's not so bad if you relax."

Her fear ebbed away, and though the plane jolted like a yo-yo on a string she was only conscious of Lucas's hand holding hers.

"I'll talk to him when we get back to the hotel," she comforted herself. Then concentrated on forgetting her nausea.

With no Customs examination they left the airport within minutes of touch-down and were soon speeding along the coast road. Lucas wound down the windows and the air, though warm, seemed refres.h.i.+ngly cool against her flushed cheeks. Ahead she recognised their hotel and her tension returned as they came to a stop and she walked ahead of him into the lobby.

She waited while he collected some mail, then together they went up in the elevator. Glancing at him surrept.i.tiously, she was surprised to see him watching her with an unusually serious expression.

"If you weren't my secretary," he said, "I wonder what I'd have felt about you if I'd met you?"

She held her breath as she waited for him to continue. But he said no more, and she blinked quickly to hold back the tears. There would be time enough for crying later...

In their sitting-room she turned to him, her voice breathless. "There's something I must tell you."

"Can't it wait? I'd like to wash first."

"I want to tell you now. I've -"

The telephone bell drowned her next words and automatically she picked the receiver up, her body tensing as Maya's voice came over the line.

"Is that you, Miss Smith?"

"Yes. Do you want -"

"I want to talk to you. Alone. It's extremely urgent." The voice rushed on before Philippa could say anything. "Don't tell Lucas you're coming to see me. Make some excuse to get out of the hotel and come to my house at once"

The line went dead and Philippa shakily replaced the receiver.

"Who was it?" Lucas asked.

"It was for me... a personal call."

"Obviously," he said icily, and went on looking at her. "You said you had something to tell me."

Still puzzling over Maya's call she had to force herself to listen to him. Why was the woman so distraught? What had happened to make it imperative she see her at once ?

"Well?" he said again. "I'm waiting."

"Later," she murmured. "Have a - have a wash first... I want to go out and get something before the shops close for lunch."

Not caring what he thought, she picked up her bag and ran down the corridor.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

It was not until the taxi set Philippa down outside Maya's large, white stone house facing one of Rio's most secluded beaches, that she wondered what she was doing here. She had mistrusted the woman long before finding the photograph, and the mysterious call had increased rather than lessened her dislike of her.

Nervously she rang the door bell, and a dark- skinned maid, showed her into a formal drawing- room furnished with ornate gilt furniture.

Maya rose from a brocade settee and glided forward like some dangerous animal, the pale face and lithe body - clad in a skin-tight, leopard-patterned trouser suit - heightening the jungle illusion.

"I believe you've got something that belongs to me," she said, holding out her hand. "A letter and a photograph."

Surprise robbed Philippa of the ability to pretend. "How do you know?"

"Roily discovered it was missing last night and remembered taking it with him to the Guimaraes ranch. He phoned them this morning and was told it had been given to you. Come on, Miss Smith, let me have it."

"No! I intend to show it to Lucas."

"I thought so!" The words came out on a hiss. "It's a good thing I rang you when I did. I was going to meet you off the plane but decided it wouldn't be wise. Roily was afraid you would tell Lucas about the letter when you were travelling back, but I had a bet with him that you wouldn't. Women like to do things dramatically, and I was sure you'd wait till you were alone with him before going into your little act."

"I've no need to act, senhora. All I need do is give him the letter and photograph, and let him judge them for himself."

"And when he's seen them, what conclusion do you think he'll reach about you ?"

Philippa's eyes widened. "What have / got to do with it?"

"As much as I have. I may be Rolly's ex-girl-friend, but you're his ex-fiancee!"

At the look on Philippa's face. Maya laughed. "You're surprised I know, aren't you ?"

"It doesn't make any difference," Philippa said. "You can tell Lucas what you like about me. The only thing I care about is for him to know what you are! A thief who took his new costings to another man!"

"My, my, quite the little heroine!" Maya's voice was sharp, its sultriness lost as pretence disappeared. "But I don't believe you're as brave as you sound. Nor do I believe you don't care if Lucas finds out you were going to marry Roily."

"I don't care!" Philippa affirmed. "I'm not important to Lucas."

"But your loyalty is. And he won't rate very highly when I've finished with you!"

"Then we'll both be in the same boat, won't we?"

""Ill be on dry land." Maya yawned, as though tired of the conversation. "The worst Lucas can think of me is that I had an affair with Roily. I'd rather he didn't know but it won't matter if he does. I can explain it easily. My husband was ill and I was lonely and unhappy. I started seeing Roily because he was English - because when I was with him and heard him speak, I could close my eyes and pretend I was with Lucas again."

Philippa listened with disgust. Women like Maya could muster an unbelievable talent for pretence. Seeing the pallor of the face opposite her and the tears s.h.i.+ning in the dark eyes, she knew Lucas would find it hard to discount such a story.

"On the other hand," Maya continued, "you won't find it easy to talk your way out of the mess I'll put you in. After all, if you'd had any loyalty to Lucas you'd have told him you were once engaged to Roily!"

Philippa swallowed hard. Maya made it sound so easy. If Roland had been what he seemed - a tough, hard-hitting Englishman - she would have told Lucas the truth from the beginning. But her fear that he would tell Rodriguez, and that the story would leak to the press and thence to England, had forced her to remain silent. But she dared not admit this to Maya.

"You can do what you like," she said coldly. "All I'm concerned with is telling him the sort of person you are!"

"He'll never believe I copied that specification. He'll think you did it because you still love Roily."

"I don't care what he thinks of me so long as he doesn't go on thinking of you!"

"You won't stop him doing that," Maya sneered. "Nor will you help him get the contract. So you've lost on both counts. He'll never be able to undercut Roily and you can't prevent him from marrying me.

Philippa looked at Maya with puzzlement. Her behaviour did not make sense, and it was important to know why. "When did you decide you wanted to marry Lucas ?" she asked.

"When I saw him again."

"Then why don't you want him to get the contract?" Maya looked away but Philippa was not to be put off. "You didn't want Lucas to know about you and Roily, did you? That's why Roily was able to blackmail you into getting him Lucas's new prices."

"Then why don't you want him to get the contract?" Maya looked away, but Philippa was not to be put off. "You are scared of Lucas finding out about you and Roily. That's why Roily was able to blackmail you into getting him those figures."

"You're a fool if you think Lucas would worry because I had a lover."

"It would worry him that you'd fallen for a man he dislikes and doesn't trust. So you see," she continued, "you're not on dry land after all. You're in the same boat as I am."

Philippa's hand was on the door when Maya slammed it shut and leaned against it. "There aren't only two women in the boat. There's a third one as well..."

There was something on Maya's face that told Philippa she had been unwise to feel any triumph.

"I know who Roily really is and that he doesn't want his mother to know he's alive. So if you tell Lucas anything about me, I'll make sure Mrs. Marsh finds out her son is in Brazil!"

"You couldn't be so heartless!"

Maya's smile was ugly. "All I need do is telephone a friend of mine in London and he'll go down to Turville immediately."

"Roland would never forgive you."

Maya giggled. It was a sound of pure animal pleasure that made Philippa want to retch. "I couldn't care less what Roland feels. He's in my past. Lucas is my future." She extended a slim hand. "The letter and the picture, please..."

Philippa clutched her handbag, afraid Maya might try to take it from her. But instead, Maya skirted past her delicately and reached for the telephone.

"I want to make a long-distance call to London..."

"Wait!" With shaking hands Philippa took out the letter and photograph and tossed them on to the floor. "I'm doing it for Roland's mother," she said, and walked out.

In the street again, she felt drained and spent; like something that had been used up and thrown away. Lucas... Roland... the names and faces swam before her eyes and she wished she had never heard of either of them. A taxi came by and she hailed it.

Driving across town along the Avenida Rio Branco towards Copacabana, she was seized with hatred for the entire place. If she never saw another palm tree or hibiscus bush for the rest of her life it would be too soon! The brilliance of the sun, the white glare of the buildings, the laughing, chattering Cariocas with their dark eyes and colourful clothes filled her with dislike. She longed for grey buildings under grey skies, for grey streets filled with safe, unemotional people. "I'm tired," she thought, "I don't want a man; I don't want love or an interesting job. All I want is to be left alone!"

Back in her room she kicked off her shoes and threw herself on the bed. But she had only been there a moment when there was a knock on the door which opened and Lucas came in.

"I told the reception clerk to ring me as soon as you returned," he said. "I had a feeling you'd want to avoid me."

She sat up, pus.h.i.+ng her damp hair away from her forehead. "If you want to work, I -"

"Don't be ridiculous! Can't you see I was worried about you?"

"There's nothing to worry about."

"Then why did you run out as if the devil was after you?"

It was an apt simile for Maya, she thought dismally. "I told you I had shopping to do."

"I can't see any parcels," he said drily, and came over to sit on the end of her bed.

She swung her feet to the floor and stood up, swaying a little. Instantly he was beside her, feeling her forehead with his hand.

"Lucas, let go of me!" His nearness filled her with such panic that she pushed away from him and ran into the living-room. "There's nothing wrong with me that a few hours' sleep won't cure."

"First you need some food inside you."

"It would choke me," she said, and sat down at her desk.

"A drink, then." He mixed her a weak brandy and soda, and she took it from him and sipped it.

He leaned against the desk, and looked at her. "Before you went out you said you had something to tell me."

"It was nothing."

"Don't lie."

"I'm not. And stop looking at me like an inquisitor!"

His face tightened and she knew his concern had changed to annoyance. "In a moment I'll lose my temper, Philippa. I know you're tired, but I won't let you rest until you tell me what's upset you. You haven't been yourself for more than ten minutes all day."

Instead of answering she opened her typewriter and fed in some paper.

" Will you stop it!" There was fury in his voice. "What's wrong with you ?"

"Nothing." Seeing his expression she amended it hastily. "At least there was something - but not any more."

"Anything that worries you is important to me." He came close to her. "Don't you know that ?"

She kept her eyes lowered. "Why don't you leave me alone ?" she whispered.

"I could say the same thing to you."

Startled, she forgot her resolve not to look at him and, staring into his face, saw something there that made her heart start to thud.

"Aren't you curious to ask me what I mean?" he went on. "Or do you know?"

"I don't know anything any more."

"Poor darling." At the tenderness in his voice, tears rushed into her eyes, and seeing them he caught hold of her hand and placed it to his lips. "I'm not surprised you don't know. I'm not an easy man to understand, and when I realised how you were affecting me I became even more difficult. All my life I've run away from being possessed. I saw what my mother's possessiveness did to my father - turning him from a self-sufficient man into a lap-dog who did anything for the sake of peace and quiet - and I vowed I wouldn't let it happen to me." He squeezed her hand. "My parents' marriage coloured my whole att.i.tude. That's why my motto was love 'em and leave 'em!"

"With a large bottle of perfume or a bunch of roses!" she said before she could stop herself.